Choices
by Eire
Summary: : This is an M&M version of the film 'The Family Man' basically Michael continued to run from Maria, and they separated. 10 years later fate has decided to give him a look at what could have been


Choices

**_Choices_**

Disclaimer : Roswell is the property of the WB, Jason Katims and Melinda Metz, trust me if I owned them M&M would be much happier no nasty Destiny or Courtney exists in Eire land. Ok, going of in a tangent now, I don't own anything, enough said :o) The story idea, I'm afraid is also not mine it belongs to the film the 'Family Man' starring Nicholas Cage & Téa Leoni, I saw the film and could resist trying to put an M&M spin on it. The memories of them being children and a couple of references such as cheesehead and curlgirl I have borrowed from Kara & Emily's Roswell Elementary series.

** **

Setting : This is an M&M version of the film 'The Family Man' basically Michael continued to run from Maria, and they separated. 10 years later fate has decided to give him a look at what could have been. Most of the story differs from the film, including the ending the only thing remaining from the film is the basic concept and the Xmas morning scene, simply because I couldn't resist. I haven't seen Season 2 at all so as far as this story goes, It takes off basically going on what happened in Destiny. Liz & Max maintained an on/off relationship, as did I/A. After graduation M&M moved in together and spent 3 years living together before the four aliens set off on their vision quest. 

Couples : M&M, mentions of I/A and guest appearances from M/L

Rating : R 

Spoilers : Mentions of the first season.

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**_ _**

**_New York City, 24th December 2016._**

"Damn it Maxwell how do you manage to stay so calm" Michael Guerian exclaimed in exasperation to his friend sitting in the chair as he continued to pace up and down the apartment.

Max smiled as he turned to face his friend, 

"Well, that's an easy one Michael, I have you Issy and Tess to get hyperactive for me, oh and by the way pacing back and forth on the floor isn't going to make this happen any sooner"

Michael flashed his trademark scowl at his friend, it was easy for Max to stay calm, he had never wanted this as much as him, for the last 25 years ever since they had awoken lost and abandoned in the desert, Michael had only had one dream, one vision, 'Home' 

"But God, think about it Maxwell in less than four hours we'll be leaving this dirt-track of a planet and going home… where we belong"

"I know Michael, I know, I am excited it's just…, I'm kinda sad too, our lives are going to change drastically, I mean we don't understand so much about our planet even after all these years we don't even know the basics, we don't know their language, their biology, their customs, in many ways we are going to be as much aliens there as well as we are here"

"No" Michael stated emphatically, "We belong there, it's our home, the only place that has ever been alien to me is this place, and I will be damn glad to see the back of it"

"Isn't there anything you'll miss… anything you regret" Max asked softly

Before Michael could stop himself he had a flash of a blonde, green-eyed pixie and he was transported back to a time he barely remembered, a time he had spent the last ten years trying to forget

*flashback*

_ _

_"Ohhhh, you are such a cheesehead, you horrible butt-brained……… boy"_

He could still remember the glint in her green eyes as she had ragged on him for pulling her curls again, a habit that had become one of is favourite hobbies during his time in 5th Grade

_ _

_"I just wanted us to be close, you know?" _

He could still fell the sadness radiating from her as she tried to explain why she had tried to fake the visions

_ _

_"You and me against the world Spaceboy" _

He could remember her excitement as she looked around their first apartment together, within minutes she had been planning busy planning colour systems and deciding what furniture they were going to need.

_ _

_"I love you, cheesehead" _

He could remember how safe he had felt as she had whispered those words softly to him as they lay in bed together, for a moment, he had felt safe, secure, for a moment he had felt like he belonged

Before he could stop it, his mind travelled back to a less happy memory

_ _

_"Don't go"_

_ _

_"Maira, … Honey, you know I have to, this is our only chance, we need to find out more about who we are, where we belong, It's our only chance, it's a year, that's all, I'll be back before you have a chance to miss me, We all will"_

_ _

_"it's just…I get the feeling that if you go now, that will be it, we'll never see each other again"_

_ _

_"Ssshh, I'll be back…you know I cant stay away long, if nothing else there's the basic biological need that I , Oww that hurt DeLuca," _Michael laughed as Maria punched him in the stomach._ _

_ _

_"Hurt...I'll give you hurt mffhh"_

Maria found her words being cut off as Michael kissed her and pulled her closer into his arms. When the kiss had ended Maria looked up at Michael.

_ _

_"Promise me, you'll be back"_

_ _

_"I Promise"_

_ _

_"You've got a year Guerien, do you hear me, that's it, not a minute longer after the year I grab the nearest local boy, I get hitched, and I…"_

Michael gently placed his fingers over her lips cutting off whatever had been about to follow

"_Ssshh, my love, one year, that's all, and I'll be home and me and you can get to work on starting that family of ours"_

*end flashback*

Michael shook his head to clear it of the memories that were disturbing it. He had meant the promise, at the time, Maria, God Maria had been his world. But the further they had travelled and the more they had learned the days, weeks and months had started to blur into the other, before they had noticed it, seven years had passed and they were still only partway through their journey. He had thought about calling her, had even picked up the phone a couple of times, but he had never followed through with it. Big surprise there, in the end he had decided it was better to leave her alone. Too much time had passed and he had convinced himself that he would do more damage than good and now, 10 years after he had made the promise, he had managed to put the past behind him. He had never forgotten her, or the years they had spent together, but he had moved on, and now, now they had finally finished their journey, they were in New York waiting for their contact Romulan to take them to the site where a ship would be waiting to take them home. It had been worth it he told himself, it couldn't have happened any other way. 

"Regrets. Nah, regrets are for wimps Maxwell, we are finally going to achieve what we have been working for all these years, we're finally going home"

Max smiled sadly "Home, funny but that word doesn't mean as much to me as it used to, sometimes I wonder if what if I had was home, if home is what we're leaving behind"

"You're going to miss her, aren't you? have you told her you're going?" It had been no secret amongst the four of them that Max had kept in regular contact with Liz over the years, every 6 months without fail he would disappear and come back 2 or 3 days later, happy and relaxed, it had never been discussed amongst them until now

"Yes and Yes, I had to tell her, I had to have the chance to say goodbye"

"How is she handling it,"

"She's… Liz, she's putting a brave face on it, but I think it's killing her almost as much as it's killing me…almost"

Michael looked at Max, finding his excitement dwindling a little.

"It had to be done Maxwell, we've spent 10 years waiting for this, working towards it, it's wh…"

"I know Michael, believe me I know, relax, I've made my decision we all made it a long time ago. Come on we better go and get the girls"

"I'll catch up, I'm going to dive out and get something to eat"

"OK, I'll see you upstairs"

Michael watched Max head out the door, he sighed, he knew this was hard on Max and Isabel. They just didn't share the same passion for the stars that he and Tess did, he checked his watch, just an hour and 45 minutes to go, Michael picked up his jacket and headed out the door

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"And can you put some extra Tobasco sauce on that?" Michael watched as the assistant loaded his sandwich with a mixture of chicken and tobasco.

He looked around the restaurant, taking in the decorations and the twinkling tree in one corner, he had almost forgotten it was Christmas Eve, that's probably why Is had dragged Tessie out shopping, every year for the last ten years Isabel had tried to compensate for the fact that they had no home or family anymore by making a big deal out of Christmas, It had always been something that they had went along with, they knew it made Isabel happy to have that one special day of the year where they all believed just for a moment that they were normal, that they belonged.

"Here you go" The assistant broke Michael out of his reverie and handed him the sandwich

"Thanks" Michael headed out of the shop and started to head back towards the apartment.

God it's cold Michael watched the people milling around him, all hurrying to get to wherever they were going, he almost missed the three guys in the alley until he heard the angry voices

"Watch it man"

"Yeah you looking for trouble boy?"

As Michael turned round to see who was speaking he spotted two youths in the alley, for some reason or another they seemed to have a fight to pick with a guy heading up the street.

"Now, look fellas, I ain't looking for no fight, just wanting to get on my way here" the man tried to go around the two youths but they persisted in standing in his way

Michael sized the guy up, he was tall about 6ft pretty well built, he probably wouldn't have that much trouble with them, even though there was two of them… Michael started back on his journey, not your fight Guerien, the voice in his head said, no point in getting involved.

"Look mister, you were the one sizing up my fella here, I'd say that was looking for trouble!"

Oh to hell with it! Michael thought, turning round, "I always did hate an unfair fight"

"Look, I already told you I'm not looking for a fight" the tall guy exclaimed

"He may not be looking for one" Michael stated as he walked up to the two youths, "but I have been in definite need of some exercise, and from the looks of things I just evened up the odds, now what was it you fellas were wanting?"

Michael didn't notice the fist until it was almost too late, out of nowhere a hand stopped the blow before it could connect.

The tall guys squeezed his hand around the youth's fist

"Look now that wasn't very nice, I have told you several times I do NOT want a fight, now you fellas don't want to start something you can't finish, now do you"

"Hey mister you're hurting my arm, Let Go!"

"Ok, I let go and you and your friend here get on your merry way, that sound ok to you fellas"

After the two youths nodded the tall man let go of his hand and they ran off down the alley

"Well thanks" Michael said as he turned to the man "but hey wasn't it supposed to ME coming to YOUR rescue?"

"I didn't need rescuing, but it's nice to see someone willing to go out of their way for someone else for a change"

"Yeah, whatever, I just don't like unfair odds"

"Billy Dodds" the man said holding out his hand to Michael

"Michael" Michael stated as he shook Billy's hand 

"Michael! Are you one of those rock star types, or were you just born without a last name?"

"No, I have a last name, I'm just not in the habit of telling strangers my life story"

"Your life story, what? Are you that famous your last name's going to tell me your life story?"

"Look, I gotta go, I'm running late now"

The man smiled at Michael

"I'm going to have fun with this one, oh yeah, a whole heap of fun, see you later Michael Guerian and just remember, you asked for this"

"Yeah, whatever" Michael headed down the street just as he got to the corner he realised what the guy had called him

"Hey" he said turning round "How did you know my last…" Michael found himself staring at an empty alley

"Ok, where did he go?" Michael shrugged his shoulders and headed up the stairs to the apartment

"Max? Tessie? Is?, Hello anyone home yet?" 

Mmm wonder where they've got too, oh well might as well get some rest before they come back.

Michael sat on the chair and leaned back, as he shut his eyes and started to drift off, he tried to convince himself that the only thing he would be dreaming off is going home, no green-eyed pixie girls allowed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael shifted over as he slowly awoke, his first thought upon waking was how the hell he had got on the bed. Before his brain could register anything a door slammed in and two whirlwinds burst through the door.

"Daddy, Mummy, wake up, Santa Claus has been, Santa's been"

"Huh" Michael surveyed the scene around him with growing unease. Standing in front of him was a blonde child about 5 years old, in her arms was a gurgling baby and standing next to her was a small toddler about two years old with a mass of light brown hair. Both children were jumping up and down and the baby in the blonde girl's arms was giggling harder with every bounce.

"Two seconds sweetie we're just coming"

Oh no, I know that voice, I know that voice. Michael willed himself not to turn round, but he had to know, he had to know for sure.

"Maria?"

"Morning Spaceboy, Cup of coffee, Strong, NOW" Maria stood up and headed out of the room

"We're coming sweets" Maria called as she headed down the stairs

Michael surveyed the room before him, this wasn't the apartment they had rented, for one he was in a double bed not a single, two the walls were painted a dark blue colour not the scummy brown he was used to and three rather than the sparse table and shelf and chair he had had in the apartment this place had hundreds of surfaces each one brimming with knickknacks, toys and drawings.

"Michael, come on get down here"

"Daddy come on, Santa's been"

He heard the excited voices floating up to him as he got out of bed

Uh Oh, On no, no, no. Michael get down here NOW"

Maria's voice called up to him filled with more urgency that before followed by loud childish giggles.

"Daaaddy, Nikki-Lou just turned the Christmas tree Blue"

Michael looked around him confusion, "ok think Michael, think" unfortunately the only logical thought that could occur to him at the moment was

"What the hell is going on?"

TBC

Please read and review I need encouragement feed the muse monster


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